The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dividing meat components such as fat and lean meat. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus wherein the fat and lean meat are first extruded and pumped through a tube or conduit to form a generally continuous chain of material and then divided by a suitable mechanism operating in response to a sensor positioned along the conduit. The improvement includes means for preventing fat and other material from building up in the conduit and interfering with the operation of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,302 (the '302 Patent), the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference, is directed to a method and apparatus for dividing fat and lean meat. The apparatus disclosed in the '302 Patent includes a grinder for grinding meat products and extruding the products through one or more tubes. The meat products form continuous chains of material in the tubes comprising sections of fat and sections of lean meat. A diverter mechanism operating in response to a sensor on each tube, diverts the fat sections to one collecting chamber and the lean meat sections to another collecting chamber. This apparatus disclosed in the '302 Patent eliminated many problems associated with the manual separation of the fat and lean portions of meat products. The apparatus also eliminated problems associated with prior automated fat and lean meat separating devices.
Although the apparatus and method disclosed in the '302 Patent was a significant improvement over prior automated fat and lean meat separating devices, the apparatus and method did suffer from occasional problems which prevented optimum separation. Most significantly, material tended to build up on the conduit walls and interfered with sensor operations. The buildup of material also interfered with flow of materials in the conduit and also led to chunks of material breaking loose and interfering with the desired separating function of the diverter. Accordingly, there remains a need for a method and apparatus for more efficiently separating meat components such as fat and lean meat.